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Tag: Milkweed Insects

Published on Leave a comment on Bug of the Week: More Milkweed Insects

Do you remember our previous post about insects found on milkweed plants? We recently went  to western New York State and found insects on a different species of milkweed from that region.

This is the common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca. It has large leaves and pink flowers.

Can you identify these insects? Let us know in the comments.

A.

Here's another view:

B.

Here's another view:

 

Milkweed plants are popular with insects.

Published on Leave a comment on Bug of the Week: Milkweed Insects Identified

Did you guess the identities of the milkweed insects from last week?  Let's check.

  1. The yellow-orange insects on the stem are aphids. More specifically, they are the oleander aphid, Aphis nerii.  Hint:  Aphids are the ones with two "tailpipes" or cornicles on the back.

2. The red and black one insect might be hard to tell from this angle, but it is a true bug. A little one with two white dots in the wing is a small milkweed bug, Lygaeus kalmii.

3. This one was tough because the photograph isn't very close. It is an assassin bug, Zelus renardii. It is probably waiting for a bee or fly to capture.


4. I think everyone recognized the praying mantis. In this case, it is the Mediterranean mantis,  Iris oratoria. (See previous post).


5. This one is tricky. Cirrelda correctly recognized it is a lady beetle.


6.  The pale green oval at the end of the hairlike stalk is the egg of a lacewing. (Life cycle in previous post).


7. The cute striped caterpillar will turn into a monarch butterfly.

At this time of year, the butterfly will probably migrate farther north to lay its eggs on another milkweed plant.

We're glad it stopped by.

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Published on 2 Comments on Bug of the Week: Name That Milkweed Insect

The rush milkweed (also called desert milkweed) plants are in bloom.

Turns out the buds, flowers, and seed pods are a bounty of food for insects.

If you have been following Bug of the Week, you can probably recognize some of the seven insects that I found on the rush milkweed today.

  1. What are the  yellow-orange insects?

2. How about this red and black one?

3. What is this insect? What do you think it's waiting for?


4. Here's another waiting insect. What is it?


5. This one is tricky. What do you think it is?


6. This is another tough one. We've already looked at the yellow orange insects. So, what is the pale green oval at the end of the hairlike stalk?


7. Finally, who is this striped cutie?

Milkweeds are home to some interesting insects. Do you have any milkweeds growing nearby?

Edit:  The answers are now posted.